This is for you Glen :-)

Glen 20 is driving down the highway with his wife and kids. He's joined by countless other vehicles heading out for the holiday weekend. With little warning, Glen is passed by a gasoline tandem tanker going at a terrific rate of speed. The truck is being pursued by several police cars. Glen grumbles to his wife,

"Why don't they just let the idiot steal the truck. They're just going to create an accident."

The tanker and the police disappear over the hill but a couple minutes later a huge fire-ball appears on the horizon. Sure enough, Glen was right. The tanker overturned and is now aflame in the middle of the road. The police have set up road-blocks. One of them is 2kms before the accident. The next is 1km before the accident. The last two are 500 metres and 200 metres before the flaming truck. Glens blows right past the first officer attempting to flag him and other vehicles down.

"Why didn't you stop like some of the other people?" Glen's wife asked.

"Why should I? The police created this flaming mess and now they want to warn me away from it! Not a chance. I'm driving right into it."

Even in the face of the warnings Glen not only doesn't stop, he increases his speed.

"Glen," pleads his wife, "We're heading for a horrible disaster. Turn around. Look! There's another road block. Do what the officer says and pull over."

"Not a chance. They made the fire so I'm driving into it."

"But you don't have to drive into it. They're giving you plenty of time to stop."

"Nope. They're monsters. They created this fire."

"But we can go around. We don't have to die in the fire."

By now the kids are asking, "Dad, what are you doing? Are you sure this is the right thing?"

"Absolutely kids. Just follow me and everything will be alright."

"But dad, maybe it doesn't have to end like this."

"Yes it does. They made the fire."

"So what? They're also giving you a chance to escape it. Are you insane?

Stop - The - Car!!"

"Nope, the cops created the fire, so I have to drive into it."
=========================

Nice logic Glen

Back next week

It's arrogant to believe you are valued.

Because we're heading to the lake tomorrow, I'll do tomorrow's post today.

I was talking to a guy who thinks that human beings have intrinsic objective value. That sounds ok until you realise the guy is an atheist. Ya, that's what I thought too. It doesn't make any sense.

He and a couple other atheists are leaning towards something like, "How arrogant of Christians to think that a planet, let alone a universe was created just for people."

Actually, I'd have to agree - If that is what Christians believed and If that is what the Bible taught. Neither assumption is correct.
The problem is, almost everything that atheists say or think shows their ignorance about the Bible and about their Creator. The Bible, which Jesus taught is a revelation from God, to us, about God and His plan for the cosmos teaches the following:

#1 The Cosmos was not created for us. It was created for God.

#2 We, humans, were not created for us and for our pleasure. We were created for God.

#3 God does not love us because we're good. God loves us because He is good.

#4 God does not love us because we have value and worth. God gives us value and worth.

Now, if those statements sound to someone like grounds for arrogance in human beings, I'm not sure what it would take to change that person's mind. Nevertheless, I think it can be explained further this way.

When I was a kid, my dad used to take me to farm auctions. He rarely bought anything, but he liked to go. Something that is common at these auctions is what's called the "junk wagon." This is an area or platform or in some cases a literal wagon or flat-deck that contains stuff that most people would just throw out. Because it's an auction, it's put out to see if someone else might actually be willing to pay for it. On its own, this stuff is worth next to nothing. Let two or more people want the same things however, and any given item can take on astonishing value.

For whatever reason, God values us. Perhaps it's because we tend to value what we create. I don't know. For whatever reason, He loves us. In fact the Bible seems to say that God loved us so He THEN created us. It might not make sense to others, but it makes sense to God. Is an item from the junk wagon arrogant because someone wants it? Of course not.

Another example. On the shelf in one of the bookcases in my office, I have an Orange. It's not just any orange. It's a "Christmas" orange from 1984. Obviously this orange didn't get eaten in 1984. And, instead of rotting, this stupid thing just dried up and kinda fossilised. My wife asks why I keep it, but I happen to think it's kind of interesting. An object that is completely worthless to everyone else in the universe has value to me.

For whatever reason, God values us. For whatever reason, God loves us. It might not make sense to others but it makes sense to God. Is this particular orange, out of billions of oranges, arrogant because I want it? Of course not.

Another example. Two homeless people are walking down the street. Both are extremely hungry. They come to the door of a shelter that is serving lunch. One of them goes in and is filled with delicious food. The other chooses to remain on the street and churn with anger because of his hunger. When the first person comes out of the shelter, he sighs, rubs his stomach and says, "Ah, that was good."

The second person scowls and hisses like Christopher Hitchens, "You think you're better than me? You arrogant toad!" And while he refused to enter the shelter so that he could partake in the excellent meal, the second guy also blames the shelter for him being in his state of hunger. (That is a direct parallel to the atheist's attitude toward salvation. I'll reject salvation and then say that God doesn't love me because I'm refused entry to heaven).

For whatever reason, God values us. For whatever reason, God loves us. It might not make sense to others but it makes sense to God. Is the first man arrogant because he was wise enough to take advantage of free food?

One last example. Three men are being crucified. Two are criminals. One is Jesus. All are just minutes from death. One of them curses Jesus. The other one says, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus replies to the one who is forgiven, "Today, you will be with me in paradise."

Is the forgiven criminal arrogant or grateful? Is the cursing criminal intelligent or a fool?

It doesn't matter why God loves us. The reality is, He does love us. Accepting that love is not a symptom or arrogance. Only a certain type of person would think that it does.

I'm amazed that my wife of 35 years knows the absolute worst about me and she still loves me. Rather than protest that love, I accept it and enjoy it. I consider myself to be a lucky man. I don't deserve her love but I'm tremendously grateful for it.

Our children are pretty much throw-away kids. Virtually no one wanted them. Most atheists would have killed two of them because they were conceived as a result of rape. My love for them is not because of any special endowments. Like Jesus' love for us, I think my love is because they lack those endowments. They really are sheep without a shepherd. These children are prime candidates for those in favour of eugenics. Yet they have my love. They enjoy my love. They thrive on my love.

Jesus loves me. And He doesn't just know all the bad stuff that I've done. He knows all the shameful thoughts that I've had today, and all the wrong things that I'm going to do in the future. Yet, knowing this, perhaps because of this, He still loves me enough to die for me. He loves me not because of any intrinsic value or worth that I possess, but because of who He is. God is Love. In fact He is so loving that the very same salvation that has been offered to me is offered to all atheists as well. The Bible says that, "While we are still His enemies, while we hate Him, ignore Him, even while we deny His existence, God gives us the offer of salvation."

Now, the Bible says that I'd be a fool to turn away from that kind of love, and I agree. I mean, if I relish a fraction of God's love as it's presented to me through my wife, why would I turn my back on the real deal? I accepted God's love 28 years ago. Since then every year has been better than the year before and I see no evidence that this trend will not continue. That's not arrogance, that's gratefulness.

. Just as liars suspect dishonesty in others
. Just as thieves are always on guard about having their stuff stolen
. Just as people who struggle with an unfaithful soul suspect their partners of being unfaithful,

So it is that the most arrogant among us imagine arrogance to be present in those for whom they have the least tolerance; the humble, the meek, the forgiven.

Like A Rock

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." Jesus

Those on the outside don't get the miracle involved in something like this. Why? Because water, living or other wise does not naturally flow from a rock.

That's what we're like in our pre Christian days. Hearts of stone. Cold and unfeeling. That is why God says in Ezekiel 11:19 - "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them. I will remove from them a heart of stone and give them a heart a flesh." As with Moses in the Sinai, drenching the desert with water from a rock is something only God can do.

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Ps. 63:1

A Samaritan woman, much like any one of us encountered the One who told her where she could find THE source of life, whereby she would never thirst again. I can testify that He still lives and still provides.

Am I OK ?

I had an atheist tell me, "A person has value as long as someone values them."

What an admission! If I was an atheist and believed that, I don't think that I could look people in the eye. Of course if I was an atheist, I wouldn't believe in right or wrong. All I'd have are opinions - so . . .

It does make me wonder though, am I correct in assuming that ALL atheists think like the one I quoted above? If there was only one human being in the whole universe, would that person have value and worth?

Or, if there were two people in the whole universe, but they didn't like each other would either of them have value and worth?

We know from Christianity that:
God doesn't love us because of who we are
God loves us because of who He is

God doesn't love us because we have value and worth
We have value and worth because God loves us

In a secular world value and worth come and go with the ebb and flow of society's convoluted and whimsical value system. In a secular world, if you say you have value and your neighbour says that you don't have any value, your neighbour is just as correct as you are.

So, according to atheists, if there was just one person in the entire universe, would that person have value and worth? If that person was you, would you have value and worth?

He Seemed So Nice!

Those who wish to ignore or deny the existence of evil are understandably surprised when they are confronted by it’s reality. They seem genuinely surprised when someone close, be it family or a friend or neighbour does something criminal or socially inappropriate. In reality, nothing that people do “wrong” should surprise any of us.

Evil is so persistent and pervasive in each and every one of us that those who propose some means of excising evil from our world may as well propose cutting every heart from every human being.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, I remember hearing someone say, “Before this, I never believed that evil existed.” She never believed that evil existed? Just how dedicated to an errant world view does one have to be to be surprised by something so obvious? Just how evil and self-obsessed does one have to be to think that “The world’s not so bad”? Just because your fridge is full of food does not mean that everything is ok.

I propose that there should be no surprise whatsoever when a Pastor is exposed as a fraud, when a little league coach or teacher is found to be a sexual predator or when the grocer kills his wife and family. When one group suggests the destruction of Jews; When one race sees another race as less than; When those of us who have been born of love turn so quickly back to hate, these things should not surprise us. Disappoint? Oh yes! But surprise? No.

There are people who actually believe that beauty, wealth, intelligence, education and particularly science are in and of themselves able to ward off evil. Because we choose to ignore and deny the reality of evil and that, we do, because it smacks of a moral universe and or a moral law Giver, we are always surprised not only when evil disrupts OUR lives but when WE disrupt the lives of others by the evil the resides in us. How many entertainers of late have seemed to genuinely believe, “But I’m NOT a racist!” after some sickening rant?

Democracy, wealth, and education have no effect on evil except perhaps to help us better ignore or deny its existence. We hide behind our sophistication and then we profess surprise when the wealthiest and best educated among us perpetrate fantastic frauds on the most gullible among us; those who deny or ignore the most common form of evil in themselves - selfish greed and envy. We become surprised when wealthy, well educated men and women who were raised in strong democracies willingly blow up themselves and scores of others half a world away. It should not surprise, because evil, like rust, never sleeps.

Overheard at the pool

One of the hotels at which we stayed had this water slide where the kids came out of the bottom like they'd be shot out of a rocket launcher. Our seven-year-old daughter came over and asked,

"Dad, did they build the slide like that because they thought we'd have fun or are they trying to kill children?"

Regardless of the harsh turns, she and the others spent over two hours riding that thing.

Surprise by Evil

People make me laugh - in a tearful kind of manner.
Like I’ve said, we typically believe that:

a) Bad things won’t happen

b) If a bad thing does happen, it would happen to me

c) If a bad thing happens to me, it won’t be severe

d) If a bad thing happens to me and it’s severe, well, there’s nothing I could have done about it anyway.

A humorous example of how we deny or ignore the “dangerous” is the old warning that masturbation will make you go blind. To which we respond, “Well, then I’ll just do it till I need glasses.” The most extreme example is our attitude regarding Hell. Knowing full well the requirements for escaping hell, some have said, “Well if it turns out that there IS a God, I’m sure He’s loving and forgiving so all will be fine.” This is eternity they're talking about and they toss it aside with some glib invention of a god they don't really believe in.

It’s the same with evil. As long as it doesn’t interfere with our daily routine, we choose to ignore it; we pretend that it doesn’t exist. As one man said to me regarding the state of the world, “It’s not so bad.”

Ya, tell that to the 2/3's of our global village who don’t have clean drinking water, or access to adequate medical care or to the 10's of thousands who TODAY will die from starvation. Why do the majority of people in the world live in conditions that you and I would find appalling? Because the rest of us refuse to share. That’s why. And why don’t we share? Because having more than enough makes us think, “It’s not so bad.” Thinking that it’s all good makes us feel secure and comfortable in our smug suburbian oblivion.

Those who deny or ignore evil must also deny the fact that:

No one has to teach their children to put themselves first.

No one has to teach their children to take what isn’t theirs.

No one has to teach their children to take what they don’t need.

No one has to teach their children to take what someone else has.

No one has to teach their children to strike, unprovoked, with the intent to do harm.

Yet there are those who ignore evil to the point of actually believing that we are born “good” and that we are on the path to “better.”

Every Day and in Every Way

I’ve mentioned a few times about my time in the Federal Penitentiary System. Out of all the guys I worked with, not one saw himself as a bad person, as an evil person. One guy in particular would begin his day with, “Every day and in every way, I’m getting better and better.” The dear boy. He believed that to be true and what’s worse, the psychologists of the time believed that if he said that every day the evil that was in him would actually begin to dissipate. Alas, he’s still doing armed robberies. On the other hand, an armed robber who feels better about himself must be a plus - yes?

Despite what I believe to be overwhelming evidence, there are some who actually believe that human nature is evolving - for the better no less. From Hegel onward, there have been merry souls blissfully and eagerly anticipating a time when evil will be banished from the human psyche. President Bush and Prime minister Blair thought we could do away with evil through the use of bombs. These other people will do it through breeding; for the impatient among them, eugenics will provide the extra boost.

There is yet another set of people who, regardless of the means, believe that everything is moving toward a better, fuller, more perfect world. To these people, evil is not real; neither as a malevolent entity nor as an inherent trait. To these people, bad behaviour is the result of a bad environment. All we need are a better sewer system, less religion, more science and the ability to visualise what we want.

I couldn’t disagree more with any of them. Human nature is as stable as the rocky mountains. Any perceived change for the better is like floating on tectonic plates. What takes place above may appear peaceful but underneath, the seething, roiling, volcanic evil is pressing, pushing, forcing, bulging, looking for any weakness in the crust, the veneer of surface “goodness.”

Of course some have a vested interest in believing that evil in general does not exist, and that they in particular are not susceptible to any evil inclinations. To believe in good and bad would imply a moral universe with objective right and wrong and to go in that direction is not allowed by these folks.

Mixing My Metaphors

I was just cleaning out some files and came across this.

Over the years I've listened to thousands of horrific stories of abuse, both from the abused and the abuser. Right or wrong, in order to find reprieve from the mind-shredding accounts of how people treat each other, I kept track of some of the funnier things that clients unintentionally said. Of course we all say nonsensical and silly things from time to time. I didn't keep track of them because I think that I'm immune from doing the same. These are just some comments that come from the clients themselves. Because you don't have the context in which these things were said, I've added my clarifying comments in italics.

"I tried to build a repertoire with her but it didn’t work. She’s too difficult."
Maybe if you’d tried to build a rapport it would have worked better.

"Geez, what does she want from me? I’m not going to the physiotherapist for my health."
Ah, yes actually, you are.

"She opens her mouth before she talks."
It beats mumbling, but you probably mean before she thinks.

"Last week she told me that she was coming back and now she’s done a complete 360 degree change of mind and she’s staying where she is."
180 degrees would have done the job.

"I was kind of scared about it but he reinsured me everything was OK."
Probably would have been better to be reassured unless the issue was dangerous and then maybe insurance would be appropriate.

"You don’t have to be blind to see what’s going on."
What?

"Apparently alcoholism goes into recession."
If it doesn’t go into remission, you may experience a financial recession.

"My eyes look like two piss-holes in the wind."
Probably means in the snow.

“I’m on a high cholesterol diet.”
Not unless your doctor is trying to kill you.

“I don’t have any problem in that area at all. I can sleep on a dime.”
A person is said to be able to stop on a dime. Sleeping on one is a bit of a stretch.

“So we hit two stones with one bird.”
Birds are a little soft for the job.

“We have so much in common. We’re like two peas in the corn.”
Two peas in a pod perhaps?

“I’m not some blow Joe off the street. I didn’t just fall off the stone truck.”
Perhaps Joe blow falling off the turnip truck?

“Now that dad is buried we can have foreclosure on this thing.”
Most people simply strive for closure.

“It was such a revolution to me. I had never seen it that way before.”
A revelation would have been clearer still.

“I get really bad Noxema in summer; especially in my ears. It weeps and it’s itchy. It’s terrible.”
Does she get eczema as well?

“I’m so mad, I just think to myself, they can go fly straight up to the top of a kite and try to get struck by lightning.”
This is probably an extended version of ‘they can go fly a kite’.

“My problem is that I had her built up too high. I think I’ve put her on a totem pole, where maybe she should have been on a foot-stool or something.”
Most men simply put her on a pedestal.

“Even though things have been going bad, there is some constellation in the fact that we’re talking.”
Is there any conciliation that they are talking in our own constellation?

“I keep banging my head against a bush.”
Banging your head against a wall would get the point through more effectively.

“I’ve asked her over for lunch, and to go to movies, and to just come over for a visit. I’ve made the first move over and over again to build this friendship, and she never retaliates. That’s it. I’m not calling anymore.”
Retaliating is what might happen if she doesn’t reciprocate soon.

“I’m not giving her any money. What does she think, that grass grows on trees?”
If money can, why not grass?


“I think she’s just making a geological escape.”
Not to be confused with a geographical escape.

“I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place and a wall.”
Obviously not satisfied with just being between a rock and a hard place.

“You get a real stigmatism if people see you going for counselling.”
Does that come before or after the stigma that’s often attached to counselling?

“I try to talk to him but he goes off on a stingent.”
Right around the corner from a tangent I assume.

“He lures at girls his daughter’s age.”
I guess one only leers at older women.

“I declaimed bankruptcy.”
You can claim bankruptcy, and you can declare bankruptcy, so is this doing both at once?

“That’s my own vindiction showing up.”
At least we’re not exposed to her vindictiveness.

I Ain’t Coming Back!

Just back from two wonderful weeks in the Canadian Rockies. Perfect! Well, as perfect as a holiday with five little kids can be. Our oldest son and daughter-in-law met us there. They’re good people. I'm really pleased with the woman that our son married. Good talks, good walks, fabulous scenery, and the kids practically lived in the water. They had a wonderful time.

Anyhow, we’re leaving for the lake in a few days and to be honest, I don’t think I can bring myself to return to the blogging ring. Particularly as it applies to atheism. Talking to atheists has, for me, become too sad. I know, there are innocents passing through who might benefit from hearing the truth, and who are at risk for being drawn in by atheist nonsense. But there are ample resources - other faithful men and women who are more than capable of presenting that truth.

I don’t mean that I’m not going to blog any more. I’m just not going to blog with the intensity and the focus that I've been to this point. Atheism may or may not be the object of any given post. I find pathological thinking a powerful hook and therefore atheism makes it difficult for me to look the other way.

Thanks to those of you who have tagged along. Best regards. I hope to hear from you in the future.

A special note to Personal Failure - For some reason I care about you, about your well-being. Please stay safe. May you be granted a willingness and a desire to be loved by the greatest Love in the entire universe. Good luck.

God Is Not Good!

This morning's post was going to be my last one until we got back from holidays. However my mind has been kicked into gear by an atheist whose line of logic goes as follows:

. Bad things happen to people

. Therefore (and obviously to him) God does not exist

That's a pretty typical example of reasoning for atheists. In fact, those people who have not experienced God’s love, those who don’t know His forgiveness and mercy and grace and peace in the midst of life’s storms simply cannot conceive of a God who is good. They look around and see famine and war and heartache beyond imagination. They see sickness and children being abused and they witness violence and catastrophe after catastrophe. They see these things and say that it is impossible for a God of Love to exist. In fact, as atheists say, “God does not exist.”

Well, to look at pain and suffering and conclude that God does not exist is not a flow of logical thinking. One cannot watch the evening news and logically conclude from that evidence that God does not exist. On the other hand, one can look at the horrors that confront millions of people day in and day out and conclude that the kind of God that we might want to exist, doesn’t. We could conclude that God certainly doesn’t do things the way that we would do things if we were God.

Had we not already experienced the reality of God’s love, my wife and I could have looked at the death of our only biological child and say that a God of love does not exist.

. We could look at our brain damaged children and say that God isn’t capable of preventing such problems.

. I could look back on my 46 years of crippling arthritis and say with confidence that God may in fact be a sadist.

. We could suffer along with our youngest adopted son who is in the bottom 5th percentile intellectually and say if there was a God who started things, He’s long since left the building.

Yes, if Wendy and I didn’t already experience the palpable presence of a loving God day in and day out, if we had only experienced all the other sorrows and difficulties that come with this existence then there is a good chance that we might say that based on the life that we’ve been dealt, God is not a God of love. As many, many people have done, we could conclude that any God that would condemn people to an eternity of unparalleled agony is in no way a God of love. We could say that. It isn’t true, but for some people there is enough evidence to allow them to turn their backs on God.

For the sake of argument, I'm going to propose that God does exist. He is the Creator. He is the First Cause. He is a monster and a savage, sadistic Creator who allows sorrow and evil to spread like gangrene. Everything that Chris Hitchens and Dennet and Dawkins and others have said about Him is true. Creator God is cold - heartless - manipulative. He’s the ‘God of the gottcha’ as some describe Him. Yes, He’s all these things and more - but - He is God - He is real - He exists.

Not only does He exist, it’s also true that things are turning out just like the Bible has said. History is winding down. World events, from naming Cyrus the Great by the prophet Isaiah, 160 years before Cyrus came on the scene, from the prophesied combination of widespread denial of God’s existence in concert with widespread acceptance and promotion of the sexually disoriented, and finally to the world-wide persecution of the Christian Church that is well on its way, all are playing out as only a real God could predict and bring about.

God is real and you don’t like Him one bit. So be it. But there is a problem isn’t there? There’s a dilemma to confront. Something important needs to be dealt with. If God is real, and there’s a great deal of evidence that points to His existence, then that means that Hell is real too. Like it or not, in fact hate it all you want, our Creator God says emphatically that we either get on side with Him or we’re gonna pay - big time.

Get on side? You mean there is a chance to escape this kind of punishment / torture?

That’s what the Bible says. That, in fact is what God said when He came to earth in the form of Jesus. The Bible says that “God was in Jesus Christ reconciling the people of the world to Himself.” God seems to have created not only Hell. He has created a way to escape going to Hell. He has said that if we place our trust in Jesus, if we obey Jesus then He, God, will take us to paradise. He describes Heaven as a place that has no more pain or sorrow, no more fear or guilt or despair. In fact Heaven is exactly the type of place that atheists say God should have made for us now - if He actually existed, that is.

But if Jesus is God and if God is a monster and if I’m to obey this monster, don’t I have to compromise my own set of values to come on side with Him? Well, no actually. While hell is nothing more than a means for justice to be served (and even atheists are in favour of justice), there seems to be a side of God that we cannot in any way describe as monstrous. In fact, this Jesus, who is God, seems to actually be a person of Love.

So here we are:

. Pain and evil do not negate God’s existence. The existence of pain and evil actually confirms the Bible’s diagnosis of our nature.

. God allows pain and evil to exist for a short time. As it turns out, He uses it for our eternal good.

. God is a God of love who is willing to rescue us, at His own expense, from an eternity of torment.

. Because He is a God of Love, it is logical to assume that the horrific punishment that unforgiven sinners will one day incur upon themselves is only difficult for us to understand now, because we don’t comprehend the monstrosity of sin. In fact we accept sin. In many cases we celebrate and nurture sin, even as it destroys us and our relationships.

. Because He is a God of Love, there is a reasonable and logical explanation for the presence of pain and evil in our world now. We don't understand pain, even though we (both religious and non religious) can in hindsight see the good that it has brought about in our own lives. We don’t understand pain, but Jesus explains how it is only through suffering that the believer is changed from a self-obsessed, self-loving horror show to someone who is able to love others with an intentional, deliberate, willed, volitional Christ-like love.

Like Him or hate Him, God is real. God is a force that needs to be acknowledged and reckoned with. Just because you don’t like a certain reality doesn’t mean that you can make it go away by pretending that it doesn’t exist.

This might be your last day to decide which side that you’re going to be on. I can tell you from experience, as can almost two billion other believers, that the word Love hardly describes how wonderfully God treats those who have turned their allegiance to Him. Blessing upon blessing fills my days. Mercy upon mercy envelopes me as I live in a hostile and angry world. I and other Christians are not promised, nor do we experience freedom from the sorrows of the world. The reason that we no longer interpret those struggles as coming from a “monster” God, is that we, as adopted members of God’s family, are now immersed in His loving presence. We’re given His guidance and counsel and freedom from guilt. We have been set free from the power of sin to destroy us.

Believe what you want about God. Boldly claim, if you wish, that you would never worship a God who allows such pain in the world or who would cause such a great punishment for the "intellectual" position you now hold. You are free to do that, but you will also experience the consequences of that decision. Or, if you are wise, you are free to accept God as Lord of your life and experience the consequences of that decision. Good luck on your journey.

“One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Oh, and for what it’s worth:

Because God is all powerful, He CAN rid the universe of evil.

Because God is all good, He WILL rid the universe of evil.

Obviously there is still evil present in the universe. All that means is that -
God CAN and WILL one day rid the universe of evil.

He promised to do that and He showed us His bloodied corpse as a deposit and guarantee.

The Perfecter of Love

Mark Buchanan, in his book, “Hidden in Plain Sight” does a masterful job of describing God’s love, agape love. This is the willed, volitional, desired love by which God designed us.

According to Buchanan, conditional love is predicated on our desires and expectations. If you are good, if you please me, if you return love to me, if you are beautiful and you remain beautiful, then I will love you. With conditional love, decision follows emotion: I feel love; therefore I will love.

Agape works just the opposite. With agape, emotion follows decision. Agape is not emotionless - no love is - but its emotion is the fruit of decision: I will love; therefore I feel love.

Actually, agape is even more hardy and stubborn than that: it wills love even in the face of fierce resistance. Agape chooses to love, not just before there is emotion, but sometimes in spite of other emotions that otherwise come naturally. It loves in the face of betrayal, in the face of rejection, in the face of evasion, in the face of rank badness. It wills love even when circumstances trigger instincts of anger or hurt, withdrawal or revenge. Agape builds its house, often, in the ruins.

Agape, then is not a because of love; it’s an “in spite of” love. It exists free of conditions, fuelled by something within itself rather than evoked by something outside itself. Agape love, when all is said and done is unprovoked love. I saw on MSN this morning that Jennifer Aniston was caught committing a “random act of kindness.” This was all the rage a few years ago and it’s good. It's certainly better than nothing. On the other hand, Christ’s love causes in people "deliberate" and “continuous” acts of kindness. It creates in people a perseverance in doing good in areas where being loved is often foreign to the circumstance.

Agape is unprovoked love; it seeks those who never saw it coming, who never had it coming, who never sought it out. It shows up unannounced, unexpected, undeserved. That’s what atheists cannot tolerate. Hitler doesn’t deserve God’s love. Ted Bundy doesn’t deserve God’s love. What atheists miss is that none of us deserve God’s love. Yet He gives it anyway, for God IS love. God’s love, agape love pursues us, and even when unrequited, pursues us still. We live in an angry, angry world where pain and suffering are more than common.

So why would a whole group of people push away the Source of Love, Comfort and Guidance? I believe that it's because atheists mistakenly view difficulties, even suffering as a sign that love is not present. Easy means love. Hard means no love. They couldn't be more wrong.

We attribute acts of unprovoked anger or violence to some moral flaw in the perpetrator. Something has gone wrong in childhood. Something important is missing. The person is angry for a reason.

Unprovoked love works the same. When we witness it we must attribute it to something inside the perpetrator, some moral perfection, something complete, something solid, some deep and astonishing good that has been placed there by the author and perfecter of love, Creator God Himself. God’s love is love for no reason, love beyond reason. Agape love is a choice, a willed, volitional desire to be good to one’s neighbours. That’s how God loves. He causes it to rain on the godly and the ungodly. “All good things are from above, coming down to us from the Father of heavenly lights, in whom there is no changing or shifting like shadows.”

Thank you Lord for your love. Cause me, Heavenly Father to be an instrument of Your love. Remove from me my anger. Take from me meanness and disregard. Change me Father. Change me. Amen

We’re off to the mountains for a couple weeks so thanks for the conversations folks. God bless.

The Seven Deadlies

1)Pride 2) Envy 3) Greed 4) Sloth 5) Gluttony 6) Anger 7) Lust:

While atheists claim that these characteristics are absent from their lives, these and the numerous other sins that arise from them are destroying our relationships, our communities, our countries and our planet. The entertainment industry actually promotes the message that living these seven deadly sins are the path to obtaining the American Dream. Those lacking in wisdom believe this message.

Now, it seems to me that any right thinking people, if they could, would want to eliminate these sins from their lives. God agrees. In fact He says that He is going to bring that about.

Because God is all good, He WILL put an end to evil

Because God is all powerful, He CAN put an end to evil

For a little while, evil will be used by God to separate those who are for Him from those who are against Him

In a little while God can and will put an end to evil, and all those on the side of evil will be put out of His kingdom for ever.

Change scene now:
If I was stranded on an island and had only one book, I would want the Biblical book of Romans

If I was stranded on an island and had only one chapter, I would want chapter eight.

If I was stranded on an island and had only one verse, I would want verse twenty-eight

“In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”Romans 8:28

This is God’s plan for defeating evil, one person at a time.

. The counter balance to the seven deadly sins is the Fruit of the Spirit of the living God.

. The Fruit of the Spirit describes the character of Jesus.

. The character of Jesus is described as, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

THAT is the “good” that God refers to in Romans 8:29 “For those God foreknew He also predestined TO BE CONFORMED to the likeness of His Son . . . And those He predestined, He also called; those He called He also justified; those He justified He also glorified.” Being conformed to the likeness and character of Jesus is the good that God will bring about, not “apart from” but IN all things; in our suffering, in our pain, in our tragedies. THAT is what God is doing with the evil that is currently saturating the earth. In sadness, in tragedy, in suffering, in pain, in loss, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.”

God is using the evil that we choose to be part of our reality in two primary ways:
. To separate us into For God and Against God groups, and
. To change the character of those who are destined for heaven.

I stated earlier that atheists claim that sin and evil are absent from their lives. Sadly, atheists cannot admit to these sins because a major atheist creed states,

“I don’t need God to be a good person.”

And if they truly believe that, then atheists must of course see themselves AS good people. They must see their lives as being free of sin. If they admit to sin then it’s obvious that they CANNOT be good without God.

“I’m a really nice person. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that I’m nice.”

Apart from cementing their path to destruction by causing them to reject God, as far as I can see, suffering and tragedy for atheists are a complete waste of time. Pain and loss for atheists are simply things with which they must cope until God rids the world of evil and separates from His kingdom all those on the side of evil.

Because God is all good, He WILL put an end to evil

Because God is all powerful, He CAN put an end to evil

For a little while (it's only been two days since Jesus lived) evil will be used by God to separate those who are for Him from those who are against Him

In a little while God can and will put an end to evil, and all those on the side of evil will be put out of His kingdom for ever and ever.

As was the case with the thief on the cross, until your last heartbeat, the invitation to come one side with God remains open.

Atheists and Christians? We’re a lot alike!

An atheist was aghast that I would “shamelessly indoctrinate” my children regarding Jesus the Christ and the religion that bears His name. It’s very tempting to look at others who think differently than we and then assume or feel that they are part of another species. It’s easier to denigrate and demonize that way. Truly, Christians and atheists are similar in many areas.
. Both think the other is unbelievably stupid

. Both think the other is living out wishful thinking

. Both are obsessed with the concept of a Creator God

. Both think the other lacks reason and intellectual honesty

. Both think the quality of their lives is enhanced by their beliefs

. Both accept and believe things that they simply don’t understand

. Both think the other is making the world a worse place in which to live

. Both formulate “logical” reasons why they don’t believe what the other one believes

. Both sides rarely admit to the fact that they indoctrinate their children with their beliefs

. Both beliefs require faith.

- Atheists’ faith is in their powers of intellect, science and pride

- Christian faith is in the person of Jesus the Christ.

. Both are born in rebellion to the idea that a God exists to whom they will someday be accountable.

. Atheists maintain that position throughout their lives by adhering to evidence that supports their position and discarding evidence that doesn’t.

. Christians have come to free their thinking and change their minds through spiritual and intellectual exploration. Christians come to their position by admitting and accepting evidence that cannot be successfully challenged or refuted.

What were you thinking?

I’m always taken aback when I read about someone who gave up on Jesus because something difficult happened to them. I mean, what were you thinking? Did you believe that:

If I become a Christian then nothing bad will happen to me.

If I become a Christian no one in my family will die,

If I become a Christian I’ll never get laid off,

If I become a Christian my spouse will never betray me or leave me

If I become a Christian my friends will never die from cancer or car accident

If I become a Christian every day will be sunny and warm.

Not only does Jesus not promise ease of living if we become His followers, I think that if you look carefully, you’ll find that He promises just the opposite.

“If they hated Me, they will hate you also.”

Peter was a contemporary of Jesus. He experienced tremendous change in character because of his relationship with Jesus. Early on in his relationship with Jesus, Peter ran from danger. Later in life he tells us to be ready for suffering 17 times just in his first letter. Peter warns that if we follow Jesus:

We’ll be mocked by our neighbours

We’ll be tempted to follow false teachers

We’ll be harassed and tempted by satan to a degree we never dreamed possible

We’ll actually be punished for following Jesus (I know this one personally)

We’ll live like refugees, strangers on earth.

We’ll suffer grief in all kinds of trials

We’ll be rejected by family and friends

We’ll be blamed for the problems of the world

We’ll be mocked for doing good

This should not surprise us. Jesus said that before we become Christians we’d better give it some serious thought because “Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit to be called my disciple.”

No, God doesn’t promise some kind of supernatural protection from tragedy. What He does offer however is a supernatural ability to use tragedy for good. With eyes wide open and our chest bared to the blast Jesus makes us the kind of people who take hold of His hand and step boldly into the storms of life. When we do exactly that we come out the other side victorious and unbowed. Because of a healed and intimate relationship with Jesus, suffering increases our faith, frees us from sin, elevates our hope and holiness and brings about a character of goodness, and perseverance.

How is it then that some turn away from God in the face of tragedy while others are drawn closer to Him? It all depends on the goal for which you’re aiming. If your goal was pleasure or security, or ease of life and safety, and then God allows difficulties to enter your life. We’ll of course you’ll turn away. On the other hand, if your goal is heaven. If your goal is an ever increasing close relationship with Jesus. If you know that God is waiting for you on the other side, then there isn’t anything that this life can throw at you that will make you turn back. In fact you’ll know that in preparing you for heaven, God will refine and strengthen you here on earth.

So, what exactly were you thinking when you became a Christian? Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Following Jesus is a journey filled with hardship and challenge, but the rewards. O the rewards are so worth it. Just as Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him, so too can we run the race with our eyes on the prize knowing that in the end our trials will seem small in comparison to the rewards we receive.

Why I Go To Church

I’d like to say that I go to Church so that I can worship God. In fact, after 28 years of trying to follow Jesus, on Sunday morning as I back out of my driveway, worshipping God is still one of my main objectives. It seldom happens. Two eight-year-olds, two seven-year-olds, and one four year old are a big part of that. Fighting like badgers all the way to church is another. We don’t always fight but often enough.

So why do I go?

I go to Church because the Sanctuary for me truly is a Sanctuary. I’m able to leave the outside, outside.

I go to learn; about the Bible, about my Saviour, about life.

I go to be with others who share what’s most important in my life

I go because I’ve grown to love imperfect people. I love people who have the courage and humility to ask for help. I love being with those who know and admit to their hypocrisy and bigotry, their lies and their lusts. People who are brave enough to admit their imperfections and their need for forgiveness have become VERY attractive to me. I crave to be with honesty and being with other Christians gives me that.

I go to Church because it puts me in contact with those in need. I’m amongst the grieving and the sorrowful. I amongst the hurting and with those who hurt others. Going to Church puts me in contact with those who, because of their struggles, are sitting in the presence of Jesus.

I go to Church because I want my children to know about Creator God.

I go to Church because I want my neighbours to know that it’s important to me without telling them so in words.

I go to Church because I want to show to God, in a tangible manner that I can stop making money and stop playing in order to focus on Him.

I go to Church because it makes me want to be a better dad, a better husband, a better neighbour. I also get this desire to be a better person from reading the Bible and praying but being in Church rejuvenates and refreshes me.

I go to Church because I want to be a visible part of the team that is going to win

I go to Church because I love my Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ. I want to be where He is. I want to be near Him. And where His followers are, there He is also.

“I was glad when they said unto me, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.””

I love Church today as much or more than I hated Church in my pre Christian days.

I love Christians today as much or more than I hated Christians in my pre Christian days.

I love Jesus today far, far, far more than I’ve ever loved Him before. Thank you Lord Jesus for Your mercy, Your kindness, Your patience and most of all for Your salvation.

"Some" Atheists

Pretty good huh? The way I used the word “some.” I’ve been taken to task lately about glomping all atheists together. I believe the term is generalising.

Anyhoo, some atheists have been perplexed by my seeming dislike of atheists in general. “How can you not like someone as nice as me?”

First of all, I don’t dislike atheists as people. On the other hand, do I enjoy and admire atheist beliefs and the fallout of those beliefs? Mmm, not so much. My blogger only allows comments up to 4,000 words so I’ll make this brief. You know how teenagers can hardly wait to get out into the world and try out their brand new bodies with each other? Of course you do. Most of us did. However, I actually find it embarrassing remember those days. Atheists, to me, SOME atheists, to me, seem to do the same thing regarding their minds. They are just so thrilled at their intellectual abilities that they can't resist flashing them to everyone who will look. Or, more accurately, flashing their intellect to ensure that people pay attention to them. Maybe that's what I don't like. It reminds me of my own teenage insecurities.

Now, don’t get me wrong here. I’m as impressed by the human mind as the next guy. It’s just that atheists seem to be, whoops, I mean SOME atheists seem to be like teens who are first discovering what the mind can do. It’s usually at its worst in first year college. Remember those days? When you’d sit around expounding on this and that in an effort to impress, not so much others, as yourself with how clever you were? Well, THAT’S the impression that I get when talking to some atheist bloggers. It's like they're caught in a time-warp, showing off to anyone who will listen just how clever they are. It makes me gag. I feel embarrassed - for them! To actually judge another person’s value and worth by that person's level of intelligence or intellectual abilities creates within me a level of disgust that is disturbing even to me. Maybe it’s because six of our seven children are learning disabled. I feel VERY protective of them. Even if they weren’t that way, I find that kind of shallowness or superficiality really, really unattractive. So I’m going to go and get an orange.

Is God Insane?

There's been some discussion about why God has done things the way He has. Why not make evidence of Himself clear to every one? Why not save everyone? Of course I don't have a definitive answer. I'm just this goof blogger. I have however given it a fair bit of thought and here's what I've come up with.

Why Has God Created Billions of People
Who Are Destined
for Eternal Separation From Him?

1. I Am God. Genesis 1:1

2. I Am before anything else. Genesis 21:33

3. I Am above and beyond anything else. Genesis 1:31; Exodus 20:3

4. I Am perfectly Pure, Holy and Righteous. There is nothing imperfect or "wrong" in Me. Psalm 19:7-9

5. Anything that is in rebellion to My perfect Purity, Holiness and Righteousness can never come into My presence. John 3:18,36

6. I Am completely and utterly Just. Psalm 7:11

7. I Am slow to anger; filled with great patience. I Am merciful and filled with grace. Psalm 5:7; 9:9,10

8. I Am Love. Psalm 25:8,9

9. Just as there cannot be the perception of up without a down, in without an out, hot without cold and light without darkness, there cannot be Love without evil. This is a spiritual reality or law.

10. Because I Am Love, there is evil rebellion against My love.

11. This evil has been allowed to exist first in the presence of rebellious angels. 1st Timothy 5:21

12. I Am One and I Am plural with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

13. In My Spirit, I love My Son. Mark 1:11

14. Love is the greatest entity to ever exist. 1st Corinthians 13:1

15. As a gift and a blessing, I want something special for My Son to love and I want that special something to love My Son.

16. That something, like the angels, must be created by Me. Genesis 1:26

17. It is My right to declare and uphold the terms and conditions of My creation. Job 41:11; Exodus 4:11; 11,12; 33:19; 1st Samuel 2:30

18. The special part of My creation will be human beings. They will be made in My image, possessing portions and degrees of My attributes and My characteristics. Genesis 1:27

19. I will make My justice and mercy known in and through human beings.

20. I want humans to love (Obey) My Son because in doing so, humans will enjoy their highest state of being. Joshua 1:8; 1st Kings 11:38;
2nd Chronicles 15:2, 15:9; Psalm 1:1-3, 4:8

21. I want to reward that love with eternity in paradise, ie. eternity in My presence. John 3:16; Psalm 18:25-27

22. For their love to be real, I know that humans must have the choice to not love My Son. Genesis 2:16

23. For their love to be real, I must allow humans to rebel against My love. Romans 11:32

24. If the first humans that I create love and obey Me, that love will be passed on to their offspring. That love will be inherited. It will not be a choice. ‘love’ will be robotic.

25. If the first humans that I create, rebel against My love by disobeying Me, then that spirit of rebellion will be passed on to their offspring.

26. In order for any humans to find fulfilment in truly loving Me, I must accept that all humans must first refuse to love Me. Genesis 3:7

27. No one will be able to love My Son without the help of My grace and mercy. John 6:44

28. I will provide those of my choosing with an opportunity to love Me and to obey Me. Romans 8:30, 9:16, 11:32

29. Through this plan I will demonstrate that I Am Love AND that I Am Just.

30. Because of who I Am, I cannot create in humans a spirit of Love and then draw them to evil to create real choice. I can only allow rebellion / evil to enter the human race in order to create real choice, and then save those who wish to be delivered from evil.

31. I will draw back my hand of protection and allow this course of history to unfold. Genesis 3:23; Deuteronomy 28:20-67

32. It is My right to declare and uphold the terms and conditions of My creation.

33. Love causes growth. Evil and rebellion cause death and destruction. Exodus 19:5; Leviticus 26:3-6, 16-24; Deuteronomy 6:6, 30:15-20

34. Because I love humans, I hate the rebellion that causes their destruction. Psalm 5:4

35. Those who continue in a spirit of rebellion will be objects of My anger. Genesis 7:4; Psalm 14:3

36. Objects of My anger cannot and will not be tolerated in My presence. Psalm 5:4

37. For the very survival of the gift to My Son, My justice, mercy, grace, love and patience, MUST be clearly displayed to humans (a) So they will know that they should repent of their rebellion and (b) To show them that they have a place to turn to for rescue from their rebellion.

- Humans will know My Justice because they know in their hearts that rebellion against Me is wrong. Those who continue in their rebellion will die spiritually and eternally.

- Because all will be born into a state of rebellion, it is only My Grace that will ensure that some humans get what they don’t deserve (life in eternal paradise) while My Mercy will ensure that those same humans don’t get what they do deserve (eternal separation from Me).

- They will know My Patience because I will persist in blessing those who continue in evil, until all those who are going to receive My merciful salvation have turned from their rebellion. Romans 9:22,23

- They will know My Love in that I, in the form of My Son, will forgive evil by taking my own punishment and suffering my own wrath for the horrible act of continued rebellion against a Creator God who is perfectly pure, holy, righteous, just, merciful, slow to anger, filled with great patience, filled with grace and abounding in Love.

38. I will rescue those who are not looking for Me, love those who hate Me, and make peace with those who are My enemies. 2nd Samuel 7:18; Isaiah 65:1; Romans 10:20

39. The rebellious cannot complain because they are in fact guilty of rebellion. Genesis 3:22; Psalm 14:3

40. The saved cannot boast because they have done nothing to deserve salvation.Romans 3:27,28

41. It is My right to declare and uphold the terms and conditions of My creation.

The real question then is not, "Why did God create billions of people who are destined to be eternally separated from Him?" The real question to be asked is:

Why Did God Create and Then Save For Eternity in Paradise, Billions of People Who Should Have Been Eternally Separated From Him.

One Way or - um - nothin

I’ve posted on this before.

It’s Jesus or nothing.

It’s faith or nothing.

A lot of people find fault with that but really, we should quit complaining. The fact that there is ANY way to repair the damage we’ve done to our relationship with our Creator is amazing enough. The fact that ALL we have to do is accept what Jesus did is incredible. Yet, as simple as it is, it’s too difficult for atheists. They’ll whine about it.
They’ll ridicule it.
They say how unfair it is.
In fact, if you challenge their faith-system, atheists will even tell you that you aren’t a real Christian. However, if you suggest to an atheist that s/he consider asking for forgiveness, that person will, you know, "I don’t believe in any of that stuff."

Of course faith in what Jesus has done is the only logical way to attain peace with God. Just as bad Karma reproduces faster than good Karma and sets us up on the wheel of rebirth and suffering (according to one Hindu mathematician for 3.6 million reincarnations before attaining release), so too do our wrong thoughts and deeds accrue faster than our good thoughts and deeds. Reality is,

. If there is any OTHER way than faith in Jesus, we’re done for.

. If there are some sort of scales weighing out our good and bad deeds, we done for.

For most of us, we’ve accumulated decades of harm before we even find out that we’re going to be held accountable for our actions.

Thank God and His Son Jesus that our actions, both good and bad do not even enter into the equation regarding salvation.

Faith in the work of Jesus, from top to bottom.

Faith in the work of Jesus , from first to last.

There is nothing that we can do or not do to merit salvation. Our bad actions will not cancel out our faith and our good actions will not add a single point to our faith. Our salvation is by God’s grace and that alone. All you have to do is accept it. It requires too much honesty and humility for an atheist, but it might not be too hard for you.

Religion is the cause of War

That of course is what atheists would like us to believe.

“More people have been killed because of religion than for any other reason.”

Google “20th Century Wars.” Is it just me or do most of these seem secular in nature i.e., a struggle for power, money and territory? In fact, regarding
the Chinese invasion of Tibet,
the October Revolution,
the Russian Civil War,
the Sino-Indian War,
the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia,
the Chinese Civil War
and other conflicts around the globe, both past and present, religion is nowhere to be seen while atheism is front and centre.

Actually, may I suggest a good exercise to see just how bigoted an atheist you've become? Read down the list of what the war is called, and then keep track of how much time you spend trying to read into it a religious angle. It might even be interesting to measure on some type of scale your frustration levels as war after war after war shows no signs of religious conflict.

Atheist Arrogance

I wrote about it over a year ago, but I encountered it again just a couple days ago. This time it was described using the word “Disgust.” Specifically, an atheist said, “Religious people who think they have all the answers disgust me.”

In their ignorance, atheists think that a Christians’s confidence comes from, "Because God told us." Well, I suppose that's part of the answer. The other part though, the main part of our confidence is based on experience, resolved doubt, resolved exploration, questioning and searching and searching and searching for answers.

It seems more than just a little arrogant to me for an atheist to say, “I find it galling that some people don’t live in a perpetual state of doubt, like I do.” The lack of humility involved in such thoughts does nothing to raise the profile of atheists in the eyes of those who already find the atheist’s pompous strutting difficult to tolerate.

The difference between atheists and Christians in this case is:
- Christians say, “Because I’ve found Truth - so can you.”
- Christians say, “The Truth that I have is something that was revealed to me, so there is no room for me to boast.”
- Christians say, “The Truth that matters in life can be found, not just by the intelligent, but even by those of limited intellectual ability, by those with little education and even by children. It’s simple. It’s easy. It can be yours.
- The Atheist says, “That’s insulting, demeaning, embarrassing and disgusting. I’ll have none of it!”

Jesus said that finding the kingdom of Heaven is like a man who discovered a treasure in a field. That man sold everything he had in order to buy the field and gain the treasure. He was so confident that he’d found a treasure that giving up everything else was worth the risk. In reality and in hindsight, it wasn’t a risk at all because the treasure was real, it wasn’t a figment of his imagination. That seems to be the problem for atheists. Actually I know it’s the problem because all of us, before we gave our lives to Jesus saw moving in that direction as a huge risk; too big a risk for most. And because atheists don’t know that there truly is a treasure on the other side, they think we’re fools for saying that we’ve found it. They find our confidence frustrating in the extreme. Look at it this way.

We were in Hawaii for a couple weeks at the beginning of March. The last time we were there was 35 years ago when we got married. Things have changed, like a million more people, changed. Anyhow, our plane landed close to midnight local time. Our destination lay about an hour from the airport. By the time we got our luggage, cleared customs and found our rental car it was really late. The rental car didn’t have any type of GPS so we were forced to use the old kind of map, in the dark, on a twelve lane highway with signs pointing every which way. Luckily Wendy and I have been through this scenario many times, with her the navigator and me the driver. We trust each other’s ability. Nevertheless there were many questions on our journey. 'Did that sign mean we should be in this lane or that lane? Was that last exit the one we should have taken? Are we getting closer to our destination or is this road taking us further away?' Finally, as the road got narrower and narrower, there, straight ahead, at the end of the valley was our Resort. The sign proclaimed it. The front desk confirmed it. The guy on the cart drove us to our room. We lay down in OUR bed.

Now, here’s where the atheists come in. They, like us at one time, were on the same journey. Call it the quest for truth, or whatever. We were all filled with questions. Is this the right way or the wrong way? Have we arrived or not? Some of us have made many and varied stops along the way thinking that we’d found our destination. I certainly did that on my spiritual journey. At first, the thought that there was no God seemed the right answer. Actually, I had so much hatred toward the Church and all things religious that I purposely ignored signs that pointed me in that direction. Then I made stops at money and sex and drugs and relationships and of course I made a long, long stop at "fun." None of these destinations lived up to the advertising in the brochure. People that I’d hung out with said we’d arrived but something deep down inside me told me that this wasn’t the place. Actually, out of fear, more than a few people settle for where they're at. "Ya,” they say, “I know we were planning to find a Five Star Hotel but I'm not going any further. I'd rather sleep in the ditch by the side of the road. Besides I can't even see the hotel. I've absolutely no proof that it'd be any better than this ditch." Some even took pride at sleeping in a ditch rather than being weak like those who “needed the crutch” of a Five Star Hotel.

Not until I took the risk of taking Jesus’ claims about Himself seriously did I find my true home. That experience is described by Christians in a variety of ways. Like Blaise Pascal said, "We all have a God shaped hole in our souls and nothing but God can fill it." Well, once that hole is filled with what it was meant for, nothing and no one is going to convince you that you should keep looking. Is a person confident when that happens? Absolutely! And there's nothing wrong with that.

If someone had come up to me a few days after we’d arrived and told us that we were at the wrong Resort; that the Resort we were supposed to be at was on the other side of the island or half an hour in the other direction, even if they’d said that they had scientific proof that we were at the wrong Resort, nothing they said could have convinced me they were right. If they got upset because I was so confident that I was at the correct Resort, well, they’d just have to live with that frustration because "I know where I am and it’s the right place."

Actually I think that’s one reason why people from other religions don’t evangelize or witness the way Christians do. Samuel Clemens once said, “Twenty years from now the things you didn’t do will be more disappointing for you than the things you did do,” or something like that. I believe that for a genuine Hindu, or genuine Buddhist or even a genuine atheist, twenty years from now they won’t care one way or another about the people they never talked to about their beliefs. They don’t have any good news that’s worth sharing. They don’t have any critically important news that’s needs to be told. They don't have the kind of confidence in what they believe that compels them to say, “Listen to this. It’s important.” True believers in those faiths don’t have a truth to pass on because deep down they know that ‘this isn’t quite the right place.’ That is simply not the case for genuine Christians. If what we believe is true, then we would have to disobey the final command of the one whom we worship to “Go into all the world and tell others about Me.”

I remember a dream that I had. I was standing before the Judgement Seat of Christ and there, all around me was the mass of humanity that had come and gone from time immemorial. All were gray in colour except for those that had come in contact with me during my life, particularly those who were not saved. They were dressed in red and they were pointing their fingers at me. In voices that betrayed anger, hurt and disgust, those people were saying, “You knew about this! You knew that this was going to happen and you didn’t say anything to me about this. I thought you cared about me but I was wrong!” The Christian’s passion for telling others about Jesus is derived from h/her concern for the eternal well-being of others. When you open the door to Jesus’ place you know you’ve arrived at your final destination. How can we not tell others?

If you think you're on the wrong road, what have you got to lose by turning around and trying the road to Jesus, the narrow road, the road of adventure? Don’t be fooled by atheists who try to make you and others believe that they hold to their world-view because of evidence.

The writer of the atheist blog "whispersessions" nailed it perfectly.
"It’s imperative to understand that not all atheists are advocates of reason. We are all born atheists, therefore it is our default state. Many atheists don’t believe in a god because they simply never gave it a thought. They could very well be dishonest, angry people who have no moral code whatsoever. Some are atheists out of rebellion to their family. They may have never given a thought to philosophy or science, let alone ethics and morality. Some are atheists simply because they despise religion. Their “lack of belief” is actually a vicious anti-belief, and when asked about what they do believe, they’ll generally have nothing more to say than how badly they hate someone else’s beliefs. They will tell you that religion is wrong, but they’ll have nothing to say about what is right. They’ll say theism is false, but they will have nothing to say about what is true. To be sure, many atheists’ atheism rests upon nothing at all. They are not advocates of reason. They are advocates of nothing. They are atheist, non-rational, amoral, and anti-reason all at the same time."

While he was certain that none of these reasons applied to him (he was an atheist because he was so logical and reasoned in his thinking) he explained the situation very well.

Condescending? Me?

Dats what a guy sez to me taday. He sez dat I’m condescending him. Now da guys a signtist eh. Geez deez signtists are sensitive, ya know? They’re like finely tuned thoroughbreds. Touch their arse the wrong way and it just sends em eh? But what’s a guy ta do, ya know? Dis is honest now. I sez to a guy, an ateist, ok let’s be honest here. It was one uh dem ateists. And I sez to him, do you honestly tink that sometin can just pop into existence out of nowhere? And you know what he sez? Dis is de honest trute. He sez, “It could happen.” Well, geez louise what’s a guy suppoz ta do wit something like dat? I mean how stupid can you get? Ok, well, like dats probably an example of condensation - I suppose. But ain’t I right? Isn’t dat juz idiotic? For four hundred million years no human or animal has seen anything just pop out of no where an dis guys says, “It could happen.” Da ting is, I’m not condensing people on purpose. I mean wat do these ateists want from me. Am I supoz to aks em questions about der stupid beliefs? Is dat wat dey expec? Hmmm?
Dat’s more condensation? Ya don’t say. Hmmm. So am I supoz to agree wit em? Pretend I care wat der saying? Would dat make lez condensation tween uz? It would eh. Hmmm. But dis udder guy, an ateist, der all ateists ya know. Dis udder guy heez all riled up because - are ya ready? Heez all riled up because I “KNOW.” Dats it. I sez, “Nuttin that cumz into existence duz so wit out a cawz.” And he sez, “Oh - you KNOW dat do you?” An I sez, “Ya. For four hundred million years no human or animal has seen anyting begin to exist wit out sometin cauzin it to begin to exist.” And dis numb nutz sez, “Well dat dozen mean it couldn’t happen somewhere.” And den he goz off an talkin about millions of universes and . . . wat? I wuz calling him numb nutz in a condescension manner again? I wuz eh.

Well, wat ef I mean it? Duz that actually madder? I mean, dis isn’t zactly the Markarios fan club or anyting is it? So do I have to care if a freakin signtis doesn’t like me? I don’t? Well, den I gotta tell ya, dis has been da stupidest bunch of ateists dat I’ve ever condeeescended to.

Oxymorons and Atheism

Rational atheism; Common Sense Atheism. These are just two of several contradictory terms that atheists use to begin their posts. I told an atheist, not long ago that atheism is illogical, inaccurate, incoherent and absurd. She turned this around and said the same about Christianity. Point made, in my mind. Most atheists have simply not thought through the implications of what they say they believe.

Christianity - the philosophy preaches purpose and gives purpose

Christianity - the philosophy preaches meaning and gives meaning

Christianity - the philosophy preaches context and our lives are lived within that context

Christianity - the philosophy preaches justice, rewards and punishment. In the end the good will be rewarded and the guilty will be justly punished.

In atheism, life has no meaning, no context, no purpose and no ultimate justice.

Atheists try to tell themselves that their lives have meaning and context and purpose but IF life, the universe and everything are in fact an accident, then ultimate meaning and context and purpose are absent from all of our lives.

Christianity allows us to accept who we are - fundamentally flawed individuals. The state of the world proves this to be true.

Atheists are forced to deny who we really are, that we are in fact basically “good” people. The state of the world refutes that claim. Atheists, by and large buy into the delusion that every day and in every way we are getting better and better.

All we need is more education - Proven Wrong.

All we need is more wealth - Proven Wrong.

All we need is more freedom - Proven Wrong.

All we need is more tolerance - Proven Wrong.

Everything that the secular world has proposed for the salvation of human kind has proven useless in the face of reality. The last Darwinist government believed that getting rid of Jews, homosexuals and gypsies was the solution to our problems. Wrong. The next demand of atheists will be, All we need is to rid the world of religious people. That too will be wrong.

Even though being wronged by others shows to the atheist that objective right / wrongs, morals, values and duties exist, atheists are forced to deny their existence.

Even though the fine tuning of the universe gives far more than just the appearance of order and design, atheists are forced to deny this design

Even though science shows that everything cannot come from nothing by natural means, atheists are forced to deny science, the very god that they worship.

Even though atheists preach, “I don’t need God in order to be good,” their lives show this to be false; they don’t even live up to their own moral code, let alone God’s

"Atheists tell us they live lives of purpose and joy without God or religion.

Atheists tell us they don’t need faith; they have reason!

Atheists tell us they never believe sincerely with one part of their mind something that another part of their mind knows is actually false.

Atheists tell us they find happiness in holidays like Easter and Christmas, because even though they know there is no God to celebrate, they are with family and that is what really counts.

Atheists tell us they never want to go to church, or take communion, or pray for the broken of the world."

On atheism they are wrong - wrong - wrong - wrong - wrong - wrong.

If atheism is correct “You are the descendant of a tiny cell of primordial protoplasm washed up on an empty beach three and a half billion years ago. You are the blind and arbitrary product of time, chance, and natural forces. You are a mere grab-bag of atomic particles, and conglomeration of genetic substance. You exist on a tiny planet in a minute solar system in an empty corner of a meaningless universe. You are a purely biological entity, different only in degree but not in kind from a microbe, virus, or amoeba. You have no essence beyond your body, and at death you will cease to exist entirely. In short, you came from nothing and are going to nowhere” Randy Alcorn.

In atheism there is no reason for your existence. All you face is death. The person you call “Myself” will cease to exist and that will be the end of it. You will be no more.

If you are happy, then you are not living consistent with the atheist world-view. If you are a consistent atheist then you have no reason to be happy. Your life is absurd, pitiful, a waste of time and money. It really doesn’t matter if you’ve existed at all. So what if you’ve helped one person or a million people? In a hundred years they’ll all be dead. Did you make a lot of money? So what? Someone else is going to get it. Did you have a lot of fun? Big deal. You probably used and abused people in the process.

In fact, on atheism, the whole universe is a waste. Sooner or later everything that exists now will not exist, not even the universe itself.

Nothing lasting.
Nothing of value.
Nothing of purpose.
All dead.
All dead.

The same blind cosmic process that began it all will one day end it all. So what if a scientist says, “Here is why this happens.” Everything that discovery affects today will be gone tomorrow. In the end these discoveries don’t make one bit of difference.

On atheism our lives are meaningless, our activities are meaningless our discoveries are meaningless and without significance. Suppose science discovers something that allows you to live twenty, fifty a thousand years longer. So what?

On atheism you still die and disappear from memory. Sartre, Camus, Neitzsche, Monod, all knew the truth - on atheism “Man is alone in the indifferent immensity of the universe.”

On atheism life has no objective value. In a secular world if you say you have one unit of worth and your neighbour says you have no worth, your neighbour is just as correct as you are. As many an atheist has told me, there is no right or wrong. No good or bad. No correct or incorrect behaviour.

On atheism rape is simply someone thumbing his nose at social convention.

On atheism right and wrong or merely the ebb and flow of human desire, taste and subjective judgment.

On atheism there is no ultimate goal to life. Our lives are lived for nothing of ultimate purpose.

Death of the individual,

Death of humanity,

Death of the universe.

On atheism, that’s all that awaits everyone of us.

And yet, in order to survive this grim atheist “reality” humanists steal from Christianity meaning and context and purpose. Many try to avoid the advice of their elder atheists who tell them to build lives “upon the firm foundation of unyielding despair,” Russel. Modern atheists live totally inconsistent and absurd lives for the meaning and values they purport to hold dear have no reality in the absence of Creator God. Without eternity, all is without ultimate value. An atheist may say at this point, “Well I’ll create my own meaning in life.” And I’ll reply, “Go right ahead. Just be aware that you’re taking that meaning from a universe that has a Creator. For without God there is no objective meaning to life.” Or what if your neighbour says that your meaning is wrong and his is right and further that he can’t achieve his meaning without eliminating you and your meaning?

In the absurdity of the atheist world-view, there is no way around this scenario.
The fact is, if God does not exist, then life has no objective meaning. If life has no objective meaning we, as humans cannot live happy and joyous lives. Therefore atheists are forced to pretend their lives have meaning and that is inconsistent, illogical, incoherent and absurd.

Atheist Probabilities

atheist physicist Hubert Yockey -

"It's always those who do not understand probabilities who think that the highly improbable probably happened."

Information Theory, Evolution, and the Origin of Life (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005) 117.

An atheist’s Tale

In the beginning there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. No matter. No energy. No space. No time. No hot supremely dense particle. Oh sure some, without knowing the box they’re opening SAY there was this invisible spot of something. They don’t say where it was or how it came to be or how long it had been. In their ignorance they just say it WAS; even though there was no place for it to be.

Reality is, in the beginning there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. And because there was nothing there would always be nothing. Always is a strange term here because without time, “nothing” didn’t exist before, during, forever or always. These same ignorant people who think there was something speak of “before” the singularity. But there wasn’t any “before” and there wasn’t any “prior to.” There was nothing. No laws of physics and no laws of science. No constants and quantities to provide for the existence of any potential universe. There wasn’t any interacting of elements because in the beginning there was nothing.

In an atheist’s world, there was literally nothing and then? There was everything. In an instant.

On naturalism, Why would everything - in an instant - come from nothing?

On naturalism, How would everything - in an instant - come from nothing?

On naturalism, What would cause nothing - absolutely nothing - in an instant - become everything?

On naturalism, Where did everything come from?

Because atheism is absurd, illogical and incoherent, the most brilliant of atheists are forced to propose the silliest of scenarios. They are even willing to contradict long accepted axioms and they are even willing to contradict themselves. All in a effort to salvage their absurd, illogical and incoherent world-view. Let me give you an example that is a favourite of mine. Richard Dawkins states that he is, “Leery of strongly held beliefs in the absence of evidence.” Leery is he? Then why does he state as though it’s fact, that in this universe there are a billion planets with life evolving on them, even as we speak. He’s not alone in his absurd philosophy of atheism.

Brilliant atheists state things like, Extraordinary statements require extraordinary proofs. And then they say:

1) The universe doesn’t need to have a beginning because we come from a Finite Infinity.

1a) Even though “infinity” doesn't exist in reality, but only as a concept or as an idea, to avoid the implications of a Cause for the Big Bang atheists propose that our universe is just the latest in an infinite number of universes. In other words, our universe was caused by a previous universe that was caused by a previous universe, that was caused by . . .

1b) While stating that the universe is infinitely old, and while being forced to admit that if that were true, “today” would never arrive, atheists simply ignore that reality, continue to propose an infinite universe and hope that no one will notice or protest too loudly.

1c) It doesn’t matter what the second law of Thermodynamics says
It doesn’t matter about the levels of background radiation
It doesn’t matter about the levels of entropy
It doesn’t matter that the expansion of the universe is speeding up rather than slowing down, atheists ignore all this and maintain that our universe has existed from infinity past.

That is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!

2) Because the Big Bang carries with it the need for a Cause, atheists declare that despite ALL scientific evidence to the contrary, some beginnings, or at least this one, i.e., our universe, doesn’t need a cause. “It just happened.”

That is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!

3) Because the Big Bang carries with it the need for a Cause, atheists declare that our universe was preceded by the universe itself, both materially and chronologically. In essence the universe brought itself into being.

That is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!

4) There are approximately 100 constants and quantities that are so finely tuned that if any one of them were “off” by an infinitesimally small degree, neither we nor the universe would exist. And even though Penrose and Hawking have calculated that all this coming about by chance is 1 in 10 to the 10 ^ 1,230 (which is an impossibly vast number to comprehend), atheists still maintain that everything that we see happened by chance.

That is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!

5) Atheists claim that there is no objective set of morals, values, and duties. They say something like, “My personal likes / dislikes, tastes, preferences and opinions will do just fine when determining the rightness or wrongness of my behaviours. On the other hand, other people’s behaviours, as they affect the quality of my life, must adhere to MY personal likes / dislikes, tastes, preferences and opinions. If they don’t, I can rightfully declare that those people are wrong.

That is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!

6) Atheists claim that regarding the cause of the universe and regarding the first DNA / RNA pre-loaded cell, there is nothing wrong with going in search of ever more complicated solutions, abandoning one after another, after another, after another, not because of new evidence but because of a need to avoid current evidence which points directly to Creator God. Atheists say that’s all the reason they need to disregard current scientific evidence.

This is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!


6a) Atheists say that there is nothing wrong with never returning to a simple solution that coincides with current knowledge and common sense, as long as that current scientific evidence points directly to Creator God. Atheists say that’s all the reason they need to disregard current scientific evidence.

This is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!

7) Atheists say that contrary to what classical historical scholarship says, known and knowable facts of history do not actually apply to the person of Jesus. In fact, Jesus never existed.

That is a highly extraordinary claim that has zero evidence to support it!

. Even though the beginning of our universe demands a Cause and

. Even though the design of our mathematically precise universe demands a Designer and

. Even though the objective moral code with which atheists demand others treat them can only come from an ultimate authority, and

. Even though the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth point to the reality of Creator God, atheists claim that none of this points to anything beyond nature itself,

Now, atheists say that they will have evidence eventually, but the promise of proof at some point in the future is the same as no proof at all. Atheists are making extraordinary claims that are lacking not just extraordinary evidence but ANY evidence. What’s more, these people call their way of life reasonable and logical.

That's sad and that's why I'm not an atheist.

This one's for Quasar

The economy is so bad that atheist scientists are now doing standup comedy.
Here’s is a line by Princeton physicist Freeman Dyson that to me is positively hilarious. In his comment,
- He’s referring to the constants and qualities that hold the cosmos together.
- He’s referring to the relationship between these constants that allow our biosphere to not only exist but to support intelligent life.

During his routine, Mr. Dyson says, “There are many lucky accidents in physics. Without such lucky accidents, life as we know it would be impossible.”

If you can’t see the humour in that chances are very good that you’re an atheist.

Other atheists look at the following information and say that to conclude that the evolution of "Us" was something other than luck or an amazing coincidence, i.e., God, is “jumping to conclusions.”

I feel like I’m repeating myself an awful lot but there are so many atheists who seem to have their feet planted firmly in thin air. They place their faith in pseudo evidence that hasn’t been thought through AT ALL! So, I’ll review once again.

Because of clear scientific evidence, we know that:
. Only in a universe so finely tuned as ours, could we expect observers such as ourselves to exist. Note: Fine Tuning is a neutral secular term in that it refers to constants and quantities (atomic weight, gravitational constant, strong & weak force, etc.) being just right for the existence of intelligent life. That’s in comparison with the huge range of possible values. In fact, the natural range of possible values is from 0 > 10 ^53 or from
0 - 1000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000.

If this number was conceptualized as a dartboard, the distance from one side of the dartboard to the other side would extended across the length of our entire Milky Way Galaxy. I’ll return to this comparison a little later. That being the case, let’s look at the ranges upon which our lives, our very existence depend.

It’s important to remember that the values of these constants and qualities were not something that evolved, or something that “settled in” as the universe aged. These constants were “put in” at the Big Bang. As well, you may be interested to note that the constants, quantities and values that are found in our cosmos appear to be unrelated in any way. They seem to be random, even arbitrary. In reality, they are independent of each other except for one thing. The only thing the constants, quantities and values of our universe have in common is that all of them, every single one of them need to be exactly as they are in order for intelligent life to exist on this planet. While there are around 100 constants and qualities, the most fundamental constants are the Fine Structure constant, the Gravitational constant, the Weak Force, the Strong Force and the Ratio between the mass of protons and electrons.

. What scientists, what ATHEIST scientists call an “astonishing coincidence” or “a lucky accident” is the following list of facts.

. Prior to the Big Bang, the ratio of the strong force to electromagnetism had to have been exactly as it was or else at 10 to -17 second after the start of the singularity, the necessary binding of helium -4, beryllium -8 and carbon -12 would not have occurred and life as we know it would not have appeared.

. The exact number and types of neutrinos at 1 second after the beginning of the Big Bang had to be in place or the expansion rate would have prohibited the formation of our universe.

. If the mass of a neutron were slightly increased by 1 part in 1,00000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000,0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000, then stable hydrogen burning stars would cease to exist.

. If the strong force were a long-range force (like electromagnetism or gravity) instead of a short range force that only acts between protons and neutrons in the nucleus, all matter would either instantaneously undergo nuclear fusion and explode or be sucked together forming a black hole.

Pretty lucky for us, huh, that all this just happened by chance? You sure wouldn’t want to think that maybe there was some intelligence behind this “amazing coincidence.” But that’s not all.

. If the Pauli-exclusion principle did not exist, all electrons would occupy the lowest atomic orbit, which would make complex chemical interactions impossible.

. If the quantization principle did not exist, there wouldn’t be any atomic orbits, electrons would be sucked into the nucleus and therefore no complex chemistry would be allowed.

. The gravitational constant must be EXACTLY 10 ^ 40 weaker than the Strong Nuclear Force or again, no us. For those that are interested, that’s ten thousand, billion, billion, billion, billion times weaker than the strong force.

Pretty lucky for us that it just happened to work out that way. I've been told that to suggest that it’s anything more than an amazing coincidence is jumping to conclusions.

A change of only 1 part in 10, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000 in the Gravitational constant as well as in the Weak Nuclear Force would prevent life from existing.

If the density of the universe and the speed of expansion had been off by one part in one hundred thousand million million, again, no life.

Remember, these values had to be put in prior to what is known as Planck time; that is, prior to 10 ^ - 43 second after the singularity. How lucky do you feel so far?

The cosmological constant is what drives the inflation of the universe. It is tuned to 1 part in 10, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000,
0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000, 0000000000. Any variation greater than that in EITHER direction and - no universe.

Now, I mentioned this galaxy wide dartboard comparison. If the universe was an accident the values of these potential constants and quantities could potentially and theoretically fall anywhere within that area. The equation that I just gave you gives us a target within our galaxy wide dart board (get a picture of that) that is less than 2.5 centimetres in diameter. For us to exist, the values HAD to fall within that range.

Listen up now because here comes what atheists call the really lucky part. The amount of fine-tuning of the cosmological constant, one that we come upon, according to atheists, by accident and not by jumping to the conclusion of an intelligent designer, is like blindfolding yourself, spinning around ten times and then randomly firing a dart at our GALAXY wide dart board and hitting the target exactly in the centre of its 2.5 centimetre disk. Missing that target by any amount and - that’s right, no universe.

What I find sad and absolutely amazing is that if you’re an atheist, none of the above will be enough to convince you to consider Creator God as part of the equation. So let me use a different example.

The entropy per baryon that had to be “put in” PRIOR to Planck time is 1 part in 10 followed by 1,230 zeros. If that hadn’t been put in at the Big Bang our life supporting universe would not exist. This requires an extraordinarily precise arrangement of mass and energy. To hit this exactly right by accident, we would put on our blindfold, spin around ten times, and according to atheists, fire a dart randomly at the galaxy sized dart board and hit the exact CORRECT PROTON.

Let me put it in a slightly different manner. The distance from one edge of the Milky Way galaxy to the other edge is the potential distance or range for our constants and quantities. Travelling at the speed of light, that’s 100,000 years of travel.
. If the cosmological constant had varied any more than 2.5cms, no us, no life.
. If the entropy per baryon had varied any more than the width of ONE PROTON - no us, no life of any kind - No Universe!

And these aren’t even the most exquisite constants! Yet all 50 of them HAD to be exactly as they are AT the Big Bang or no life. That is why these atheist scientists have said:

Arthur Eddington - “The beginning seems to present insuperable difficulties unless we agree to look at it as frankly supernatural.”

Nobel prize winner Arno Penzias - “The best data we have are exactly what I would have predicted had I nothing to go on but the five books of Moses, the Psalms, and the Bible as a whole.”

Stephen Hawking - “It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us.”

Physicist Freeman Dyson - ‘The more I examine the universe and study the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe in some sense must have known we were coming.”

Anthony Flew - The fine tuning of the universe at every level is simply too perfect to be the result of chance. Flew’s lifelong commitment “to go where the evidence leads” compelled him to become a believer in God.

These are not some religious nut cases. Nor are these men jumping to the conclusion of Creator God in the absence of evidence to the contrary. These are hard-core atheists who are simply stating the obvious. Of this particular bunch, only Anthony Flew had the integrity to go with the evidence. Only Anthony Flew doesn't need the approval of his peer group to feel ok about himself.

If, by this point your mind isn’t numb with the credulity and gullibility that atheists force themselves to live with, I just don’t know what it would take to get you to throw up your hands and give up. I mean, just how blind does a person have to be before s/he willingly stops demanding the right to drive the car? This is not a joking matter any more. Atheist scientists have discovered this information. They know it, but obviously maintaining their bias against Creator God is worth throwing away their integrity. It’s embarrassing. It’s shameful. It should be a crime for them to teach “The Universe As An Accident” to your children.

Still not impressed? Listen up. Remember, these constants and qualities are independent of and unrelated to each other. There's no natural reason for any one of them to be just as they are. So, as astronomical are the odds of any one of them being just right for a life sustaining universe, to find all of them being as they are in the same universe, by accident is beyond comprehension. To figure out those odds, you would take, say, the Weak Force constant of 1 in 10^100, add to that the constant of gravitational constant 1 in 10^120, which gives you 10 ^ 100 + 120 + . . . and so on for ALL 50 of the constants and quantities.

Still not impressed? Science states that anything beyond 10 ^ 50 is the same as impossible. On the one hand Stephen Hawking has said “If all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the Earth were possible universes, and only one of those grains of sand was a universe that allowed for the existence of intelligent life, then that one grain of sand is the universe we inhabit.” Yet on the other hand we know that Hawking remains an atheist. In the face of this evidence, why would Hawking or any atheist for that matter continue to search for natural solutions? They have to. In order to maintain their dogmatic, definite, deliberate denial of God’s existence, atheists must believe that the impossible is possible.

And that is why atheists say that we’re really, really lucky to be here.
That is why atheists say all this is just an amazing coincidence.
That is why atheists say there is no evidence for Creator God
That is why atheists say that any one who suggests that Creator God is involved in this miracle of life is just jumping to conclusions.